Stripping device for knitting machine



Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM STRIPPING DEVICE} FOR KNITTING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8; 1960 mm mw .wh I I Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM 3,153,922

' STRIPPING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June a. 1960 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM STRIPPING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 8, 1960 INVENTOR Walter Bram ATTORNEY-5' Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM STRIPPING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 8, 1960 llll II P I l l I I l l ll Q BEEEREWMLWWBHEEEEH xv um mm aw I I II I a I .a m k x Q Q a Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM STRIPPING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 8, 1960 Q Q Ww R 2. R QR H Q m E LJ TL La E fl m u 5 N Ir 5 R E k. My L k K mm y k SW m EN m 8 E n 3 V EM vR SN R mm R R R Q .R R mi Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM STRIPPING- DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 8, 1960 Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM STRIPPING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 8. 1960 W. BRAM Oct. 27, 1964 STRIPPING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE l1 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed June 8. 1960 Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM 3,153,922

STRIPPING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June a. 1960 11 Sheets-Sheet 10 Oct. 27, 1964 w. BRAM STRIPPING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet l1 FiledJune 8. 1960 INVENTOR Walter Bram I BY flfikJ/Qt ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,153,922 STREPING DEVICE FOR KNTTHNG MAG-ENE Walter Bram, Dietilzon, Switzerland, assignor to Paliz- Holding AG., Zug, Switzerland Filed June 8, 1960, Ser. No. 38,410 Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 18, 1959 14 Claims. (Cl. 66-64) The subject matter of the present invention is a stripping device for knitting machines having a lock (set of cams) which is displaceable at right angles to the needles which are displaceable longitudinally in a bed, a knocking-over comb, and two strippers which are positively swung at the points of reversal of the lock movement.

Such stripping devices have already been proposed but could not offer sufiicient assurance thatparticularly in the case of coarse yarns-the last stitch to be bound did not again straighten up upon the advance of the needles and is pierced by the needles. The object of the invention is to provide a stripper in connection with which considerably greater assurance is afforded of moving away from the path of the advanced needles the stitch which has last been knocked over.

The stripping device in accordance with the invention is characterized by the fact that each stripper has a pressing-down and a holding-down member, as well as a holding-back member, which members act one after the other in the case of the front stripper as seen in the direction of movement of the cam box, the action of the holding-down part of the pressing-down and holding-down member terminating, at least approximately, when the needles pass beyond the edge of the knocking-over comb in their forward movement.

In the drawing there are shown by way of example five embodiments of the subject matter of the invention in connection with a flat knitting machine developed as hand-knitting machine; FIGS. 1 to 6 and 19 show the first embodiment, FIGS. 7 to 9 the second embodiment, FIG. 10 and FIGS. 13 to 15 the third embodiment, FIGS. 11 and 12 the fourth embodiment and FIGS. 16 to 18 the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a schematic bottom view of the lock as well as a schematic side view of the two strippers.

FIG. 2 is a section at right angles to the plane of the needles through the stripping device and its drive means, as well as other parts of a hand-knitting apparatus.

FIG. 2a is a plan view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the stripping device (without drive means).

FIG. 4 is a top view, partially in section, of the bearing plate and the members connected with it.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are vertical sections of only the needle beds with the knitting work in two different phases of operation.

FIG. 7 is a section through the second embodiment along the line VIIVI[ of FIG. 9.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the pressing-down and holdingdown member in accordance with FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a section along the line ]XIX of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a section, corresponding to FIG. 7, through a third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a front view of a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a section along the line XII-XII of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a front view of a bearing member in accordance with the third embodiment, and or" the carrier connected with it and of a part of the bearing plate.

FIG. 14 is a section along the line XIV-XIV of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a section along the line XV-XV in FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a schematic showing of the two strippers in accordance with the fifth embodiment and a schematic bottom view of the lock.

aisaaaa ice FIG. 17 is a top view of one half of a bipartite bearing piece with built-in pressing-down and holding-down member, and holding-back member, in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a section at right angles to the needle beds in the case of a machine having a stripper in accordance with FIGS. 16 and 17, and

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary section along the line XIX- XIX of FIG. 2.

As can be noted in particular from FIG. 2, the embodiment shown in the drawing is a hand-knitting apparatus having two knockover combs 62 on two needle beds 1 and 2 which are fastened at an angle to each other on an apparatus frame (not shown) and in which each set of adjacent needles 3 and 4 is supported as customary in longitudinally displaceable manner in guides. Of the locks which push these needles forward and backward in known manner corresponding to the tempo of the knitting work, only parts of the left-hand lock (as seen in FIG. 2) are indicated, namely the base-plate 5 and the front end plate 6. To the front plate 6 there is connected a guide ledge 8 which travels in a rail 7 anchored to the frame of the apparatus. There is firmly held in the rail 7 a rack 9 with which there engages a pinion 13 which is seated firmly on the shaft 12 which is supported in the bushings 10 and 11. The pinion 13 is connected via a slip coupling formed by a spring 14 with the hub 15 of the stepping wheel 16 which rotates freely on the shaft 12 by the pinion 13 driving the spring 14 and the spring 14 driving the hub 15.

On the lock bottom plate 5 there are fastened two arms 17 (only one of which is visible in the drawing), which arms by means of the screw 18 are connected together with the carrier 19, the latter bearing on the one hand the one brush-holder 20 and being on the other hand connected with two angle irons 21 (only one of which being visible in FIG. 2) via which the connection of the bearing bushing 11 with the cam box is provided. Brush holder 2% is also carried by the angle iron 21. The carrier 19 serves furthermore for supporting a guide 22 into which the bent end of the control plate 23 extends, the control plate being provided with a number of perforations 24 corresponding to the tooth pitch of the stepping wheel 16 with which perforations the teeth of said stepping wheel are in engagement. The control plate 23 is bent at a right angle in the same way as the bearing plate 25 which is screwed by the screw 13 to the arms 17 and it rests against inward bent parts 25a of the lower edge of said bearing plate 25.

This arrangement is seen clearly in FIG. 19 wherein the engagement of the teeth of the stepping wheel 16 in the openings 24 of the control plate 23 is visible. In this figure the guide 22 is furthermore shown in its whole length, which guide, as already described, is screwed to the rigid carrier 19, to which latter the two angle irons 21 are fixed with the other brush holder 20a. The carrier 19 in turn is connected to the bearing plate 25 (see FIG. 2) by means of screw 18, and also to the guide 22 and the angle irons 21. Therefore, these are rigidly mounted parts in contrast to the control plate 23, which, owing to the engagement of the stepping wheel teeth with the openings 24 of this control plate 23, can be shifted with regard to these rigid parts, and in particular with regard to the bearing plate 25 by a rotation of the stepping wheel 16, slightly abutting with its lower edge against the parts 25a of the bearing plate.

FIG. 2a shows a plan view of FIG. 2 wherein the location of many of the members previously described may provide a better understanding as far as the cooperation of the various parts is concerned. Limit bolt 2s acts as a limit stop for control plate 23. Supported by the bearingplate 25 is a thread feed holder 28 carrying a thread feeder 28a.

As can be noted particularly clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4, the part of the control plate 23 which is bent at a right angle has a limiting bolt 26 which extends perpendicularly outward, which bolt passes through a slot 27 of the bearing plate 25 and at the same time bears the thread feed holder 28 for the thread feeder 28a. The control plate 23 is in its turn perforated by two substantially connected with the bearing plate 25. To the front side of each lever 37, 38 there is riveted an angularly bent spring plate 39 and 40 respectively, the free bent ends 39a and 40a of which press, with the interposition of washers 41 and 42, the swinging disks 43 and 44 respectively against 'the bearing part of the levers 37, 38. Furthermore, the

levers 37, 38 are positively connected with the swinging disks 43, 44 by a number of pins 45, 46 respectively riveted to the levers, the said pins entering edge cutouts of the swinging disks. The swinging disks in their turn each have a driving bolt 47 and 43 respectively around which is provided, as well as around the corresponding pivot pin 35 and 36, the U-shaped bearing parts 4% and 50a respectively of a stripper 49 and 50 formed of a bent piece of wire. Each of these identically developed strippers has two different loops which are also intended for different purposes, namely a straight holding-back loop 49b and 5017, respectively, and'a plow-shaped loop 490 and 500, respectively. Each of these plow-shaped loops 49c and 500 respectively is of U-shape and has a bent pressing-down part 49d and 59d respectively, which extends to below the last course of stitches in any possible the two holding-back loops 49b and 5011 as well as the two holding-down parts 49c and 50e are directed toward each other.

. From the construction of the apparatus as described it results that when the lock or locks are moved over the two needle beds 1 and 2 perpendicularly to the needle guides, the pinion 13 is driven from the rack 9 together with the shaft 12 and its rotation is transmitted via the slip clutch formed by the spring 14 to the stepping wheel 16 which is loosely seated on such shaft 12. This stepping wheel engages intothe openings 24 of the control plate 23 so that the said control plate is also moved with respect to the bearing plate 25 parallel to the direction of displacement of the locks, this relative movement between the two plates being limited by the length of the slot 27. If the limiting bolt 26 comes against one of the ends of the slot 27 and if the movement of the lock continues, the

clutch formed by the spring 14 slips so that the rotation of the pinion 13 is no longer transmitted to the stepping wheel 16. Spring 14 abuts with its front surfaces on the one hand on the front side of pinion 13, and on the other hand on the front side of hub 15, only one or none of the spring ends being rigidly connected with the member (pinion 13 or hub 15) against which the end concerned is pressed by spring tension. The unconnected end or ends of spring 14 consequently slip on the front surface of the corresponding member, as soon as the force to be transmitted is greater than the friction produced by spring pressure on the front side of the member concerned. It follows from this that the relative movement of the control plate 23 with respect to the bearing plate 25 takes place only in all cases at the start of the movement of the lock in one direction, i.e., upon continuous backward and forward movement of the lock during the knitting process, each time after the points of reversal to the extent permitted by the length of the slot 27. This movement of the control plate 23 with respect to the bearing plate 25 has the result that the control bolts 33 and 34 are pushed forward and backward in the substantially oblique control slots 29 and 3!) respectively, and thus turn the levers 37 and 38 together with the parts 'connectedwith them. If one starts from the position shown in FIG. 3, this turning, upon reversal of the direction of movement of the lock indicated by the arrow 51, takes place in clockwise direction for both of the levers 3 7, 38, due to the corresponding inclination of the control slots 29 and 30. When the limit bolt 26 is at the left end of the slot 27 and when the control plate 23 is moved toward the right both levers 37, 38 turn counterclockwise. This swinging motion is transmitted via the pins 45 and 46 to the corresponding swinging disks 43 and 44 respectively and thus to the strippers 49 and 50 through driving bolts 47, 48-. p i

In FIG. 3 there are shown the conditions which prevail in the case of the movement of the lock in the direction indicated by the arrow 51 where the limiting bolt 26 stops against the righthand end of the slot 27. The position of the driving bolts 47 and 48 is so selected in this connection that in this phase of operation the holding-back loop 4% of the forward stripper 49 (as seen in direction of movement) moves parallel to the direction of advance and directly over the course which was last knitted (see FIG. 5), while the pressing-down part 49d of the plowshaped loop 49c runs onto the connecting threads between the last knitted stitches of the two needle sets, forces said threads vigorously downward (see FIG. 6) and the holding-down part 492 holds the threads in question in the depressed position. The rear stripper 50 seen in the direc tion of movement (arrow 51) swings in such a manner that only the plow-like loop 50c is still active, While the holding-back loop 50b is obliquely upwards in inactive position. Furthermore, as a result of the said swinging, only the holding'down part 50e of the loop 500 is acting, it acting (in contradistinction to th holding-down part 492' of the front loop 49c seen in the direction of movement of the lock) no longer to hold the last course of stitches down but to depress the stitches which have been newly knocked off. This holding-down function of the holding-down part 500 of the plow-like loop which is at the rear at the time, is coordinated in a manner which will be described further below, with a corresponding movement of the control plate 23 in the opposite direction.

In the direction of motion indicated by the arrow '51 (FIG. 3) the uppermost stitches of the knitted article will accordingly first of all be pressed down by the part 49d of the loop 490 and then held down by the part 49a in a manner which will be explained in detail later on, until the needles intheir forward movement pass over the edge of the knocking-over comb 62. The holding-back loop 49b then enters into action holding back the last course of stitches during the advance of the needle, and finally the freshly bound stitches are pressed downward upon emergence from the cam box by the loop 500, while the holding-back loop 50b remains inactive.

At the next point of reversal, the limiting bolt 26 is displaced atthe start of the return movement of the lock in the direction opposite that indicated by the arrow 51, in slot 27 up to the lefthand end thereof (as seen inFIG. 3), as a result of which the stripper 50, which is now the front stripper, is swung until its holding-back loop 501) is parallel to the direction of displacement, while the stripper 49, which is now the rear stripper, turns in clockwise direction until its holding-back loop 4917 has reached the inactive position.

'plate 25 in the new direction. The thread-feed holder 28 carrying the thread feeder 23a, after each point of reversal, also changes its relative position with respect to the lock.

The dimensions of the two loops 49b, 49c and 5-35, Sfic respectively as well as their relative position with respect to the control members of the needles, are somewhat critical. The conditions in this connection can be best noted from PEG. 1 in the lower part of which there is shown a bottom view or" the lock, while on the upper part the corresponding strippers are shown schematically.

The lock is of customary construction having a center cam 52, two lateral earns 53 and 54, as well as two tubular swing cams 55 and 56 which are of less interest in this connection and which are each inactive in one direction, a tubular swing cam being effective in one direction, resiliently giving way the other direction. The numeral 57 indicates the path of a needle butt, assuming that the lock is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 53. Finally, three dilferent needle positions are indicated by 59, 6d and 61, while the first of the dotted lines 62 and d3 indicates the position of the knocking-over comb 62 (see FIGS. 2, 5, 6, and 18) and the second a horizontal plane passed through the course of stitches which has last been knit. A knocking-over comb is provided at adjacent ends of needle beds 1, 2 in the conventional manner, each comb 62 consisting of lamellae arranged between the single guide and projecting from the same.

in this lock, which is of conventional construction, there are now provided two auxiliary needle lifters 64, and 65, approximately opposite the cams 53 and 54, by which the entering needles (to the right in FIG. 1) are brought into such a position (5% that the free needle end (i.e., that needle end which is turned away from the needle butt and is provided with the latch and the hook), and thus also the yarn loop which is held in such needle end lies at least approximately at the height of the knocln ng-over comb edge 52a (see also FIG. 6). The needles remain in this position until the needle butts strike at the point 66 against the tubular swing cam 56 from whereon the displacement of the needles into the position 6% commences. The mutual position of the lock and/ or the cam blocks of said lock and the strippers is so selected that the stitches of the needles which enter the lock and are located in the position 59 are first of all pressed down by the part 9d and thereupon held downwards by the holding-down part 496 until the forward movement of the needles commences. In other words, the holding-down part 492 of the loop 4% must be active at least approximately to the point 66 starting from which only the holding-back loop 4% is still in operation, which latter loop sees to it that the thread loops which lie on the shanks or" the advanced needles do not participate in this forward movement. In this connection it is essential that the holding-down action of the loop 49c is exercised, as far as possible, until directly prior to the needle advance, is. to the point 66, and that after termination of the holding'down by the part 492 of the loop 4% the advance immediately starts.

From the frontmost position 69, the needles are pulled back by the cam 52 into the position at (see also FIG. 5) in which they remain until they come against the second auxiliary needle lifter 64 which displaces them again into the position 5h (FIG. 6), in which connection the stitches during this advance are vigorously pressed down by the holding-down part Stle of the rear stripper 59 as seen in direction of motion, which holding-down part 532 acts as pressing-down part in this position of the loop 5%.

The purpose of the starting position 59 established by the auxiliary needle lifters 64 and 65 is to exclud for all practical purposes, the danger of the advancing needle entering the thread stitch which was last formed. The advisability of this can be noted particularly clearly from FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIG. 5 the needle position $1 is shown. It the holding-down action were to cease in this position and the advance to start from this position, it is clear that there would be very considerable danger that the stitches which were last knocked oil would straighten up and come into the path of the advancing needles. If it is possible however-as is the case with the device described-to cause the holding-down action to continue until the needles above the knocking-over comb edge 62a descend when the holding-down element must be removed from the path of the advancing needles, this danger can be substantially eliminated. T here results from this, with respect to the dimensioning of the loops, the condition that the holding-down loop (490, 500) is active as long as possible, i.e., until the point (66) where the advancing needle passes beyond the knocking-over comb edge 62a.

Furthermore, the device described makes it possible to hold the new course of stitches down particularly strongly also at the critical point where the knitted article emerges from the lock and the freshly knocked-over stitches, which are generally still somewhat loose, hang in the needles.

This pressing down can, however, not be effected in any arbitrary manner. Rather, there is concerned here a tightening of the t ead which is moved out by the advancing needles, controlled by the auxiliary needle lifter 64 which is active in the corresponding direction of displacement of the look, over the knocking-over comb edge. The tightening must accordingly take place at least approximately to the same extent as the advancing. Since now the speed of the tightening, aside from the speed of displacement of the lock, is determined by the angle between the tightening holding-down part Slle of the rear plow-shaped loop 50c and the direction of displacement, i.e. in other words, by the angle swing of the stripper 50, and since the speed of advancement, i.e., the speed of displacement, is determined by the slope of the front runningon surface 641! (as seen in the direction of movement of the lock) of the rear auxiliary needle lifter 64, the two angles must be correspondingly adapted to each other. The running-on surface 65a on auxiliary needle lifter 65 has a similar function in a reverse direction.

The thread feeder or its holder is so arranged on the control plate that in each direction of movement of the lock the thread can be inserted shortly after the frontmost needle position 60 has been reached.

The stripping device described can also be readily employed when knitting only with one bed, in which case the strippers are so developed, in known manner, that they rest against the knocking-over comb of the corresponding bed.

It is self-evident that the stripping device described is not only suitable in flat knitting machines or hand-operated knitting apparatus but also in connection with circular knitt ng apparatus.

In the following description of embodiments two to five it is to be understood that elements not specifically described are identical with the elements described with respect to the first embodiment. For example, the drive provided in FIG. 2 for the first embodiment is utilized for all other embodiments. Where only one stripper is shown, for example 72 in FIG. 7, it should be noted that a second stripper is of the same construction but of reversed order of parts.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-9, 71 is a bearing member which is swung out in a manner to be described below and which depends on the direction of movement of the knitting machine lock with which it is connected, in order to bring the pressing-down edge 72a and the holding-down edge 7% of the pressing-down and holding-down member or stripper 72, which is developed as a solid plate, as well as the holding-back loop 73 from one operating position into another, as has been described in connection with the first embodiment. The bearing part consists of two essentially symmetrical halves, 71a and 7315, which are connected with each other by rivets '74 and have a number of recesses 75-79, in which the pressing-down and holding-down member or stripper 72 can be resiliently displaced, and on which the holdingback loop 73 isfasteiied. The plate part 72c which enters the bearing member body 71 when the plate is inserted, has two lateral extensions 80 and a central extension 31 between which thrust bearings 82 are formed for the return springs 83 which are caught in the recesses 77. The two end extensions 80 each have a pairof protruding bolts 80a which extend into the recesses 75 which are developed as notches, so that the stripper 72, under the action of the springs 83 which rest at one endagainst the upper face wall of the recesses 77 and at the other end against the thrust bearings 82, is held in the position shown in FIG. 7 and determined by the'strikiilg of the bolt 80a on the bottom of the recesses 75. 7

From this construction it results that the pressing-down and holding-down memberor stripper 72 which is developed as a plate is supported in a resiliently displaceable manner within the bearing piece 71, in the manner that upon a displacement of this plate against the action of'the springs 83, the two end extensions St can enter into the recesses 76 and the center extension 81 can enter into the recess 78.

The developing of the pressing-down and holding-down member or stripper 72 as a plate has the advantage over the construction in accordance with the first embodiment in that the thickness of the member is entirely independent of its resiliency, while in the case of a wire loop (see first embodiment) this thickness is dependent upon the diameter of the wire which in turn determines the amount of the spring action. In the present case a plate of any desired width can be used which opposes displacement through a resilient resistance which can be determined as desired by corresponding dimensioning of the springs.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 79 is particularly suitable for two-bed knitting machines in which the stripper 72 cooperates with both beds and its width therefore may be only slightly smaller than the distance between the two knocking-over combs 62. For this purpose the stripper 72 is provided at its lower part 72d with two laterally protruding plates 84 by which the thickness required for use in two-bed machines is given to this active part.

The half 7111 of the bearing piece 71 is provided on its outer side with a guide 85a which serves, in the manner which will be described below, for the fastening of the bearing piece to a support which takes the place of the bent spring plate 49 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 3). The numeral 85'indicates the guide path.

The third, slightly simpler embodiment shown in FIGS. 10, 13l5 diifers from the second embodiment essentially only by the fact that the bearing piece 71 aside from the recesses 77' for the return springs 83', has only a single recess 78' for the part 72c of the plate 72' which can be inserted into the bearing piece. In order to support said plate, there are provided two noses 72c which protrude laterally in the plane of the plate and rest, under the action of springs 83, against corresponding projections 71c'of the bearing-body halves 71a and 71b held together by rivets 74'. The manner of action is the same as in the case of the second embodiment, in that here also the stripper plate 72 is held in a resiliently displaceable manner within the bearing 71. Stripper plate 72' comprises a pressing-down edge 72a and a holding-down edge 72b. Holding-back loop 73 is similar to loop 73 in FIG. 7.

In FIGS. l3l5 it is shown with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 10, how the corresponding bearingpiece 71' is swingably connected with the bearing plate 25' (FIG. 2). The bearing-piece 71 is pushed, with its guide slot 85 facing away from the bearing plate 25, into a support 40' which takes the place of the spring plate'40 of the first embodiment. This support 40' consists essentially of a holder 46b, which surrounds the bearingpiece 71 on all sides completely except for slot 40a for the passage of the part of the plate 72 passing beyond the bearing-piece 71, as well as of a control projection 40c protruding laterally in the extension of the rear wall of said holder, and a bent introduction lug 40d which protrudes laterally in the opposite extention of the holder front wall. The holder 40b bears on the outer side of its rear wall a bearing bolt 94 which passes through the bearing plate 25' and is secured axially by means of a circlip (snap or spring ring) 93, around which bolt the support 443' as well as the inserted bearing-piece 71' and the stripper plate 72 is swingable. The swinging motion is controlled, corresponding to the first embodiment, by means of the control bolt 34', which passes through the bearing plate 25' and is held in the control extension 400'.

In order to secure the position of the bearing body 71' within the support 40, the holder 40b is lengthened on the insertion side (to the left in FIGS. 13 and 15) by the upward-bent lug 40d below which the guide rib can enter into a slot 96 on the front side of the holder. In the vicinity of this slot the spring 97, having a nose 97a and the run-on surface 97b, is fastened to the front side of the holder, its free end 970 resting against the top of the'lug 4nd. The length of the guide slot 85' as well as the arrangement of the nose 9711 are so adapted to each other that upon the pushing of the bearing-piece 71 into the support 40 through the front side (seen in the direction of the movement which is the direction of the pushing) of the guide slot 85', the spring 97 is swung out and then, when saidfront side is against the right hand end (as seen in FIGS. 13 and 15) of the slot 96, engages behind theguide slot 85 so that the bearing piece, secured in every direction, is connected with the support 40', it being sufiicient in order to remove the bearing piece to raise the free end 970 of the spring and pull the bearing piece out of the holder.

In contradistinction to the second and third embodiembodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is swingable within the bearing piece 71". For this purpose the two bearing-piece halves 71a" and 71!)" each have a downward directed bearing extension 86 between which there is fastened the pivot pin 87 which serves as axis swing for the stripper plate 72". For supporting against the bearing body, the plate 72" is provided here at its free end with a stop 72 which rests under the action of torsion spring 89, held between the two bearing-piece halves and wound around the bolt 88, against a notch 90 of the bearing piece. While the one end 89a of spring 89 rests against the wall 91 of a corresponding recess 92 of the bearing piece, the other end 89b extends into a slot 72g of the plate 72". In this embodiment also, therefore, this plate is held in a resiliently movable manner within said bearing body, but instead of substantially transitory movement, we have here rotary movement. Stripper plate 72" is provided with a pressing-down edge 72a" and a holding-down edge 72b". Rivets72" and the guide 85" are also shown in FIG. 11.

In the case of the fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-18, the stripping device is combined with a two-bed knitting apparatus. In each of the two needle beds 1 and 2 which are arranged at an angle to each other and provided with knocking over combs 62, a set of needles 3 and 4 respectively is supported, in known manner, so as to be displaceable, controlled by the lock, in the longitudinal direction of the needles. There is incorporated in the lock a device for swinging out the stripping device in accordance with FIG. 2. Instead of the spring plate 40, there is now provided a holder (not shown) to which a control bolt (not shown but corresponding to the control bolt 34' in FIGS. 13 and 14), which enters into a slot of the control plate 23 (see FIG. 3) of limited displacement, is fastened and which is supported in a manner, not shown in further detail, on the bearing plate 25 (see FIG. 3) in accordance with the first embodiment (see FIG. 2) in such a manner as to be rotatable about the bearing bolt 94'. The bearing piece 171, which consists of two halves 171a and 1711) respectively, can be loosely inserted and resiliently secured in said holder, said two halves being connected with each other in a manner not shown in the drawing, for instance by riveting. In a corresponding recess N7 of this bearing piece, a swinging lever 108 is rotably supported around the bolt 109, this lever being pressed by a spring 119 which rests against an inner wall of the recess 1il7 against a stop 71h of the bearing piece, and is thus resiliently held in this position. At its free end, the swinging lever 1% has a slot 112 which is substantially parallel to the holding-back loop 173 and is traversed by the shaft 113, to the two ends of which there are fastened respectively, one of the rear disks 114a and 1145 which form the wheel shaped pressing-down and holding-down member 114 and are grooved on their outer sides. The length of this shaft 113 and/or the distance between the two wheel disks 114a and 11412 is so selected that the distance between the outer sides of the wheel disks corresponds at least approximately to the distance between the two end surfaces of the needle beds 1 and 2, so that the wheel 114 substantially fills up the gap between these two front surfaces (FIG. 18). The same applies to the width of the holding-back loop 173, which is also inserted in the corresponding recess of the bearing piece 171a and 171b within this bearing piece 171 and is fastened by the connection of the two bearing-piece halves 171a and 171E; within said bearing piece. The width of the slot 112 is somewhat larger than the diameter of the shaft 113 so that this shaft can roll down on the upper edge of the slot under conditions which will be described below.

By the swinging device (described in detail in connection with the first embodiment), the two strippers are positively swung out upon a change in the direction of movement of the lock in such a manner (FIG. 16) that the holding-back loop 173 of the front stripper as seen in the direction of movement (arrow 115) lies at least approximately parallel to the direction of movement over the last course of stitches but below the plane of displacement of the needles, while the holding-back loop 173 of the rear stripper as seen in the direction of movement is swung out into an inactive position (FiG. l6, left-hand).

1f the lock together with the stripper described is now moved back and forth over the needle beds in order to control the needles and the insertion of the thread, the pressing-down and holding-down member 114, which is developed as a wheel, moves resiliently onto the last course of stitches and rolls them down in the manner that one stitch of said course after the other is grasped by the grooved outer sides of the wheel disks and is forced downward, and the stop 7112 is so arranged that the pressing-down wheel, in its lowest position in the drawing (FIGS. 16 and 17), in which position it is held by the spring 110, extends to below the horizontal plane 63 through the last course of stitches indicated by a dot-dash line in FIG. 16.

The mutual position of the needle lifters 64, 65 (see FIG. 1 also) and the other lock parts with respect tothe pressing-down and holding-down member 114 as well as the holding-back loop 173 is in this case also-as in the case of the previous embodiments-so selected that in the case of the front stripper as seen in the direction of movement, the wheel 114 which rolls down resiliently on the uppermost course of stitches strongly forces said course of stitches downward before the advance of the needles into their frontmost position (6%) commences. In this connection it is of course important to keep as short as possible the distance between the point where the downward pressed course of stitches leaves the sphere of action of the wheel and the point where this course of stitches is held back by the holding-back loop 173. For this purpose it is necessary, in the case of the front strip seen in the direction of movement, to place the wheel 114 as close as possible to the holding-back loop 173 in order to deprive the stitch which is last knitted, of the possibility, after leaving the sphere of action of the wheel, of becoming erect again and entering the vicinity of the needle which is advanced shortly thereafter. These conditions are now different in the case of the rear strippers as seen in the direction of movement insofar as in this case the wheel has the job of pressing the new course of stitches down to such an extent that the thread, which has been relaxed by the advancing of the needles into the ready position 62a, at the height of the knocking-over edge (as a result of the control by the auxiliary needle lifter 64) and which has been brought forward is tightened. This distance over which tightening is to be efiected, depends exclusively on the position of the auxiliary needle lifter 64 and is in no relationship to the inactive holding-back loop. It may now be advisable to displace the sphere of action of the wheel backward in the case of the rear stripper as seen in the direction of movement. This is achieved automatically by the slot 112 in the manner that the shaft 113 of the rear wheel, the diameter of which is somewhat smaller than the width of the slot, rolls on the upper edge of the slot into the position shown on the left in FIG. 16.

The construction of the pressing-down and holdingdown member as a wheel has the advantage over the embodiments previously described of considerably reducing the friction. In particular, however, by means of the wheel the pressing-down action is efiected by a rolling down of the stitches, each stitch being individually grasped by the rotary movement of the wheel and being pressed down approximately in the delivery direction. This has the result that if for any reason any individual stitch should not be pressed down or should not be pressed down sufficiently, for instance because it has not been properly grasped by the loop, all the following loops will not be able to evade the pressing-down as is true in the case of a plate shaped loop. On the contrary, when the pressing-down and holding-down member is developed as a wheel, each individual stitch is pushed down and held individually, regardless of the position of the preceding stitch.

In order to increase this efiect and to increase a clamping of the thread between the outer surface of the wheels disk and the front side of a needle bed, the outer surface of the wheel disks can be inclined inward with respect to the axis, as a result of which, with the same effective width of the wheel disk rims, additional space is created between the outer surfaces of the wheel disks and the needle-bed end sides.

While for purposes of description I have shown and described several embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent that changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a'knocking-over comb,'two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holding-down part and a second member comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, said first member extending partly under the plane of the needles and said second member being adapted to be in contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

2. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking-over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first mem- .ber comprising a combined pressing-down and holdingdown part and a'second member comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, said firstmember being a plow-shaped loop extending partly under the plane of the needles and said member being adapted to be in contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

3. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking-over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holdingdown part and a second member comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, said first member being a plow-shaped loop extending partly under the plane of the needles, said second member extending above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches,

but being out ofcontact with knitting when swung by said means.

4. A' knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking-over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holding-down part and a second member comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, each stripper comprising a bearing member, said first member being a plate resiliently supported in said bearing member and having one edge acting as a pressing down part and one edge acting as a holding down part, said edges being partly under the plane of the needles, said second member being in the form of a generally L- shaped rod fixed in said bearing member, said generally L-shaped rod having a longer part and a shorter part with the longer part of said rod being adapted to lie in contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.v

5. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking-over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holding-down part and a second member comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, each stripper including a bearing member, said first member being a plate pivotally mounted in said hearing member and having one edge acting as a pressingdown part and one edge acting as a holding-down part, said edges being partly under the plane of the needles, said second member being in the form of a generally L- shaped rod fixed in said bearing member, said generally L-shaped rod having a longer part and a shorter part with the longer part of said rod being adapted to lie in contact with the knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

6. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers atthe point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holding-down part and a second member comprising a holding back part,

12 the machine, said first member being in the form of a wheel acting both as pressing-down part and a holding- .down part, said wheel having an under part under the plane of the needles, and said second member being adapted to be in contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

7. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking-over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, 7

each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down; and holding-down part and a second member comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, a bearing member, a lever swingably fixed in said bearing member, said first member being iii the form of a wheel acting as a pressing-down part as well as a holding-down part, said wheel having an under part under the plane of the needles, said wheel being freely rotatably mounted in the lever, said second member being in the form of a generally L-shaped rod fixed in said bearing member, the longer part of said rod being adapted to lie in contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

8. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking-over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holding-down part and a second member comprising a holding back part, the

members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, a bearing member, a lever swingably fixed in said bearing member, said lever having a slot, said first member being in the form of a wheel acting as a pressingdown part as well as a holding-down part and having a shaft, said wheel having an under part under the plane of the needles, said wheel being freely rotatably mounted in the slot of the lever, said slot being substantially parallel to said second member and having a width slightly greater than the shaft of said wheel, said second member being in the form of a generally L-shaped rod fixed in said bearing member, the generally L-shaped rod having a longer part and a shorter part with the longer part of said rod being adapted to lie in contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

9. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking-over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holding-down part and a second member comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, said first member extending partly under the plane of the needles and said second member being adapted to be in contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

10. A knitting machine of the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, a knocking-over comb, two strippers pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the strippers at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, each of the strippers having each a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holding-down part and a second member comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, each stripper comprising a bearing member, said first member extending partly under the plane of the needles and said second member being in the form of a generally L-shaped rod fixed in said bearing member, said generally L-shaped rod having a longer part and a shorter part with the longer part of said rod being adapted to lie in contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

11. The knitting machine of claim 1 wherein said strippers are out of phase with each other.

12. A knitting machine or" the type having a vertical plane of symmetry and two needle beds each having movable needles, a lock reciprocably movable perpendicularly to the needles, 2. knocking-over comb, a stripper pivotally mounted on the lock, means for swinging the stripper at the point of reversal of the movement of the lock, the stripper having a first member comprising a combined pressing-down and holding-down part and a second memher comprising a holding back part, the members lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the machine, said first member extending partly under the plane of the needles and said second member being adapted to be in 14 contact with knitting above the horizontal plane formed by the last knitted row of stitches.

13. The knitting machine of claim 1 wherein said strippers face in opposed relation With said second members being in adjacent relation.

14. The knitting machine of claim 1 wherein said strippers are out of phase with each other and said strippers face in opposed relation with said second members being in adjacent relation.

References titted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,715,328 Buhrer Aug. 16, 1955 2,719,418 Yamada Oct. 4, 1955 2,837,903 Luchsinger June 10, 1958 3,095,326 Bauer Oct. 24, 1961 3,007,324 Bram Nov. 7, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,133,662 France Nov. 19, 1956 340,005 Switzerland Sept. 15, 1959 

1. A KNITTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A VERTICAL PLANE OF SYMMETRY AND TWO NEEDLE BEDS EACH HAVING MOVABLE NEEDLES, A LOCK RECIPROCABLY MOVABLE PERPENDICULARLY TO THE NEEDLES, A KNOCKING-OVER COMB, TWO STRIPPERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE LOCK, MEANS FOR SWINGING THE STRIPPERS AT THE POINT OF REVERSAL OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE LOCK, EACH OF THE STRIPPERS HAVING EACH A FIRST MEMBER COMPRISING A COMBINED PRESSING-DOWN AND HOLDING-DOWN PART AND A SECOND MEMBER COMPRISING A HOLDING BACK PART, THE MEMBERS LYING IN VERTICAL PLANE OF SYMMETRY OF THE MACHINE, SAID FIRST MEMBER EXTENDING PARTLY UNDER THE PLANE OF THE NEEDLES AND SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH KNITTING ABOVE THE HORIZONTAL PLANE FORMED BY THE LAST KNITTED ROW OF STICHES. 